IMPORTANT: READ THIS -- Problem With Long Paths

[Alex Goodall]

Folks

I can see a problem in future with paths names getting too long - especially in the Operations area.

I have used long, meaningful folder names to ease navigation using Windows Explorer (if people want to do that). Also, the folder structure mostly mirrors the topic structure in the Map within the Operations area.

However, this means that at the ends of some of the folder strucures, the path length is rather long.

This is OK at present, but in future when you start adding your own content (e.g. your own websites, or your own products that might have deeply nested folder structures), you could well exceed the limitations of Windows maximum path length.

Although people may not be hitting this problem right now, I need to address it before going live. If I don't, I know I will have to some time in the future - and it will be mach harder to fix and update everybody at that time.

SO:

I shall be renaming a large number of the folders within the Operations area, AND flattening some of the folder structures. This will make the folder names less friendly, but most people will be navigating using the Map - so that shouldn't matter too much.

I will leave the topic structure of the Map unchanged, because I think that reflects a logical navigation. (That's the nice thing about the Mind Map interface: the topic structure and naming does not have to be the same as the folder structure and naming.)


My current plan for upgrading you is to

- Provide an auomtated upgrade installation that you just run. This will upgrade your Mind Map and install a new My Ops
- Ask you to MOVE anything you have in the My Operations folders into the My Ops folders
- Ask you to DELETE your old My Operations folder

The reason for pointing this out is that you may want to hold off populating anything in the Operations part of the Map for now. (It's OK to populate the My Info and Niches Folders (the Reference part of the Map) since I won't be changing that.)

Note that if there is a need for any restructing in future, I will provide a way for this to be done automatically.

I apologies if this has inconvenienced any of you, but I feel it is wiser to bite the bullet on this now.

I will, of course, give any advice needed if people have problems switching to the revised strcuture.

I'll aim to get this competed over the weekend (rather than completing the videos for the sales page  )

Kind regards

Alex

[evajmah]

Thank you so much for thinking so far ahead. Most people are so focused on sales that they forget about the product. This is customer service at its finest!

When I grow up, I wanna be just like you. 

[doxadon]

I think I'll just wait on doing anything with V2 till I get the updated (fixed) version.

But again, thanks for catching this so quickly!!

Scott <><

[FreeManInParis]

same here.

As long as I am at the foothills of my organizational endeavors, I'm going to wait until the Sherpa comes along to guide me up the mountain.

[Alex Goodall]

Ha!

"You guys crack me up" as they say over in the USA.

I've got an oriental lady who aspires to ruin her beauty by growing a beard like me, and a gesticulating free spirit who (I think) is likening me to van.

It's a pleasure to have customers like you!

Alex

[Pete]

Hi Alex,
It is a worry what some of your followers are saying!! 
I upgraded to V2 and found I had to move some of the info in the folders around a tad,
but that was no problems. I do like the layout of V2, finding it a bit more user friendly.
I will be interested in the alterations you make.
I must get more motivated and move a lot more 'stuff' into V2.
Thanks for a great piece of software, it does make life easier when trying to find 'that file'
that is here somewhere.

Cheers

Pete

[Alex Goodall]

Pete

You won't notice any changes in the interface, and probably no-one will have hit the problem I am fixing.

However, I hit it whilst storing various instances of my product (the IM Index Mind Map  ) in the folder structure. Within the Project folders there are deeply nested folders - especially in the folder for storing your Product. And if your product itself includes deeply nested folders (as some will), then the total path lenght to files could exceed Windows maximum path length.

Even though no-one else has hit this problem with V2, someone else is sure to in the not too distant future.

So, Peter, I would hold off moving more stuff into the Operations section because you're going to need to move it again into the new folder structure I am creating (which will have much shorter folder names).

Sorry for the invconvenience this will cause.

Alex

[MitchellT]

It's not often that you see the 100-year oaks in action...

(In case you haven't heard the story, the master craftsmen built a gigantic hall. many years later the beams needed replacing. everyone was all aflutter until the maintenance man said; "You'll be wanting to use the 100 year old oaks then"

The original craftsmen planted oak trees when they built the hall, so that when the beams needed to be replaced, the trees would be ready by then...)

they might have suggested something that would have kept Y2K from happening...:-)

[Alex Goodall]

Seeds planted. 

It's OK to use the hall now.